Houston Cornea Transplant Specialist, Dr. Rahul Pandit performs Descemet Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSEK) & Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK), which are some of the latest and most successful techniques in corneal transplantation. These surgeries are used to treat patients with Fuchs dystrophy and other disorders leading to swelling of the cornea, or corneal edema.
What is DSEK?
A DSEK procedure is a partial-thickness corneal transplant that replaces only the thin innermost portion of the cornea, including the endothelium. The endothelium is removed with its underlying membrane and replaced with the healthy inner layer from a donor cornea. The procedure has seen tremendous success and most patients that undergo DSEK regain clear vision.
What is DMEK?
DMEK is also a partial thickness corneal transplant that replaces only the ultrathin endothelial layer, rather than the full thickness of the cornea as seen in standard corneal transplants or the thin tissue that is replaced in DSEK surgery. DMEK is the newest treatment option for decreased vision due to swollen, cloudy corneas caused by Fuchs Dystrophy. We have found that DMEK has provided patients with the best chance to have the best possible vision with the lowest risk of rejection. However, due to the delicate ultrathin grafts, there is a higher chance of needing to return to surgery early during the healing process to either re-position or replace the graft.
What is Fuchs Dystrophy?
Fuchs dystrophy is a disease that affects the endothelium layer. The endothelial cells normally pump fluid from the cornea to keep it clear. When they die, fluid builds up and the cornea becomes swollen and vision becomes cloudy or hazy.
In the early stages of Fuchs dystrophy, patients may notice few, if any, problems. Vision is usually hazy in the morning but gets better throughout the day. This is because your corneas swell more when your eyes are closed during sleep.
In the later stage of the disease, vision remains blurry all day. Too much fluid builds up during sleep and not enough dries up during the day. Also, tiny blisters may form in the cornea. The blisters get bigger and eventually break open, causing severe eye pain.
Fuchs dystrophy is an inherited disease, but not everyone who inherits the condition will develop the disease. Vision problems might not appear until age 50 or later. Women are more likely than men to have Fuchs’ dystrophy.
Symptoms of Fuchs Dystrophy include glare and sensitivity to light, fluctuations in vision, foggy or blurred vision, difficulty seeing at night, and eye pain.